Why Make A Give First Podcast?

Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of the very first podcast from Techstars: the Give First podcast. Brad Feld and I are co-hosting this weekly podcast that digs into what Give First means.

I can tell you that I’m having a great time making it, and I’ve already learned so much from the people we’ve had as guests.

What is Give First?

Give First is one of our core values here at Techstars. It means helping others with no specific expectation of return. It’s not transactional—it’s the idea that if you’re helpful, it will come back to you in completely unexpected ways.

Why Make a Podcast?

This is great, but I know it can sound a little abstract if you haven’t experienced it yourself. You may be wondering if it really works. Do busy people—and entrepreneurs are notoriously busy people—actually stop and Give First?

Yes, it really works.

I hope that you listen to the Give First podcast for insights into how exciting and successful a life and career guided by the principle of Give First can be. Here are just a few examples from the first few episodes:

Hear Paul Berberian, CEO of Sphero, tell the story of being mobbed in Times Square like a rock star when Sphero’s toy BB8 was the number one toy in the world.

Listen to Wendy Lea talk about the risks of saying “no” when opportunity comes knocking.

Troy Henikoff tells a decade worth of Give First stories that all intertwine—and resulted in companies growing, careers thriving, and millions in funds being raised, all while the Chicago startup ecosystem is expanding.

Mary Grove shows the power of Give First at scale, with her adventures in community-driven change, starting Google for Startups and traveling on the Rise of the Rest bus.

Like I said, Brad and I are having a blast making the Give First podcast. We get to have fascinating conversations with accomplished, generous people. But most of all, Brad and I are making this podcast as yet another way to Give First. We hope that by sharing these stories with you, you’ll be inspired to Give First as well.

Listen now to our introductory conversation, where Brad and I talk about where the idea for Give First came from and what it means to each of us. And subscribe to the Give First podcast!

David Cohen(@davidcohen) Founder & Co-CEO of Techstars, previously founder of several technology companies. David is an active startup advocate, advisor, board member, and technology advisor who comments on these topics on his blog at DavidGCohen.com